Harnessing Harmony
The golden ratio, a mathematical and natural phenomenon, has long been used to create visually appealing elements. Its inherent balance and harmony make it a powerful tool for designers. Students put this theory into practice. They use the golden ratio as a framework, a geometric progression, to design a logomark (a logo symbol) or brand identity. This project encourages students to explore the interplay between design principles, elements, and the golden ratio grid. By applying this grid, they determine the optimal size and placement of each component within the logomark, ensuring a visually harmonious outcome.
Harnessing Harmony
Form and Compositional Methodology
In this project, students delved into the concept of compositional relationships. They began by analyzing and contrasting three key forms: subordinate, dominant, and subdominant. This initial exploration equipped them with a foundational understanding of how different forms interact and influence a composition's overall balance.
Next, students experimented with a variety of materials, examining and comparing both the individual properties of each material and how they interact within a composition. This hands-on approach allowed them to develop their visual vocabulary and refine their ability to analyze the visual world.
To further enhance their visual literacy, students explored the role of angles within a composition. By analyzing how multiple angles work together, they gained insights into the visual language used to evoke specific emotions or perceptions.
The project culminated with students translating their newfound knowledge into physical art pieces. By drawing inspiration from both contemporary and postmodern art movements, they created works that embodied the compositional principles explored throughout the project: Form and Compositional Methodology
Next, students experimented with a variety of materials, examining and comparing both the individual properties of each material and how they interact within a composition. This hands-on approach allowed them to develop their visual vocabulary and refine their ability to analyze the visual world.
To further enhance their visual literacy, students explored the role of angles within a composition. By analyzing how multiple angles work together, they gained insights into the visual language used to evoke specific emotions or perceptions.
The project culminated with students translating their newfound knowledge into physical art pieces. By drawing inspiration from both contemporary and postmodern art movements, they created works that embodied the compositional principles explored throughout the project: Form and Compositional Methodology
Students in the "Context-Aware User Interface Design" course, tackled a timely challenge for their project: diet, health, and fitness. Through extensive research and data collection, they designed a user-friendly interface (wireframed a solution) and developed a functional prototype – a calorie-counting app with a unique twist. This innovative app goes beyond simple calorie tracking. By incorporating a user's average daily diet and workout routine, the app predicts their potential body type. This personalized approach empowers users to make informed choices about their goals. The projects culminated in a successful public demonstration showcasing the potential to impact a wider audience:
• Knowledge Acquisition and Ideation Phases
• FITNESS 101
• UNIGON
• CONFRONTING
Elements of Aesthetics
Elements of Aesthetics combines the historical development of European Aesthetics - most famously shaped by philosphers such as Hume, Burke and Kant - with practical art. These works represent the combination of individual vision and historical frameworks, as imagined by students:
• Zoha
• Misbah
Students unleashed their creativity by incorporating their designs within the golden spiral. They then fine-tuned their compositions through scaling and color grading, utilizing the Fibonacci sequence – the mathematical foundation of the Golden Ratio – to guide their placement:
Aesthetics and Pattern
Challenge and Engagement in 3D Design
Mastering 3D software can be particularly challenging due to the introduction of the Z-axis. While navigating the X and Y axes are often intuitive, understanding and manipulating objects in the Z-axis requires more complex mental processing and tool usage. This project aimed to address this challenge by introducing students to Autodesk Maya. Through this platform, they explored the software's interface and functionalities while researching diverse marine life from the Arabian Sea. The project culminated in students using Maya to create platonic forms and objects that resembled their chosen marine animals. Two introductory projects, following a similar structure, familiarized students with Maya and 3D form development. In the second project, they use Maya to take a picture and turn it into a 3D perception. Make use of basic tools and platonic forms to create this artificial perception. They made no use of lighting, texture, or colour: 1. Challenge and Engagement in 3D Design P1 2. Challenge and Engagement in 3D Design P2
Mastering 3D software can be particularly challenging due to the introduction of the Z-axis. While navigating the X and Y axes are often intuitive, understanding and manipulating objects in the Z-axis requires more complex mental processing and tool usage. This project aimed to address this challenge by introducing students to Autodesk Maya. Through this platform, they explored the software's interface and functionalities while researching diverse marine life from the Arabian Sea. The project culminated in students using Maya to create platonic forms and objects that resembled their chosen marine animals. Two introductory projects, following a similar structure, familiarized students with Maya and 3D form development. In the second project, they use Maya to take a picture and turn it into a 3D perception. Make use of basic tools and platonic forms to create this artificial perception. They made no use of lighting, texture, or colour: 1. Challenge and Engagement in 3D Design P1 2. Challenge and Engagement in 3D Design P2
The Public Service Announcement (PSA) project in Elements of Aesthetics class is an intensive assignment focusing on searching, defining and creating moving imagery on socio-cultural challenges of our society. PSAs are excellent media items that can be distributed on various mediums such as television, film and online social media. Students in this class are using video, sound, music, images, animation to capture the viewer's attention and convey the message in an effective, emotional and engaging manner to highlight the cultural and societal challenges. Drawn from various theories, research and observations, they are proposing PSA to motivate behavioral change and create awareness about the current challenges for the targeted audience. Moreover, based on design principles and Golden Ratio, they also have conceptualized some animated CND logomarks which they include at the end of their video:
• Road Accidents
• Communication
• Schizophrenia
This project "Scultures in Open Spaces" tasked students with identifying and categorizing pressing issues within their communities. They then developed and installed architectural follies or sculptures in those very locations to raise public awareness of the identified challenges. To demonstrate their ideas to the imaginary client, they created these sculptures using the 3D programme Autodesk Maya and superimposed them over the existing areas:
Scultures in Open Spaces
3D Mask project challenged students to explore three-dimensionality, specifically the Z-axis, through 3D design tools. By researching various cultural aspects of Pakistani society, they designed and created 3D masks unique to a specific location within Pakistan:
3D Mask
The rise of 3D and 2D animation has sparked a vital discussion about incorporating systematic design procedures into animation instruction and development. There are several methods focus on the initial concept and idea generation phases, some address the later stages of implementation and evaluation. These projects showcase a range of practical methodologies that can be readily implemented in educational settings without requiring extensive learning overhead. The aim of these short animation projects is not to present an exhaustive list or claim these are the best possible approaches, but rather to provide a starting point for educators to explore how design methodologies can enhance animation education. From the initial spark of inspiration to the meticulously designed final product, these animations use industry-standard software like Adobe Suite and Autodesk Maya:
My students in Information Design used ChromaDepth technology, which optically transforms the colors to create a hologram. Animations based on ChromaDepth appear as completely normal but they jump into holographic reality when viewed with particular glasses.
ChromaDepth Animations.
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In this course, students dive into the world of digital storytelling, mastering digital asset creation, narrative structure, and VFX techniques. From crafting visual narratives to experimenting with motion, timing, and compositing, they explore the art of engaging audiences emotionally while honing production skills for broadcast animation..
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